by Delly Waigeno – EM TV News, Port Moresby
It was an unusual Monday morning for hundreds of employees of Telikom PNG as they gathered outside the company’s Telikom Rumana head office in Port Moresby.
They were led by the Communication Workers Union, who demanded that the management stop the ‘spill and fill’ restructure process, labelling it illegal.
In response, Telikom Chief Executive Officer, Michael Donnelly, said that Telikom was not acting illegally.
As early as 8 O’clock this morning, employees of Telikom PNG held a seating protest in front of the office, in an attempt to convince management to do away with the spill & fill.
A spill and fill is a restructuring process, whereby positions in a workplace are made redundant and the employees filling those positions must reapply for the reduced number of created positions.
According to National President of the PNG Communications Workers Union, Nug Mamtirin, the company will lose many skilled and technical workers through this process.
The Union demanded for the immediate withdrawal of the Spill and Fill and current retrenchment notices.
Telikom PNG CEO, Michael Donnelly, personally received the petition that contained the demands of the Union.
He then addressed the Union and staff accordingly.
The petition also demanded an immediate halt on eviction notices to staff occupying institutional houses.
Mr Donnelly said there will be no reversing of the notices because those who have been asked to vacate are beneficiaries of the home ownership scheme to buy their own houses.
The Union has given 24 hours to the management to cease these exercises, while its substantive matters are still before the Court.
However, Mr Donnelly made it clear the management will not stop unless the courts tell them to do so.
